Criticizing Islam is racist?

[Thumpalumpacus]

Now who is guilty of a lack of nuanced thinking?

Can you really not differentiate between OUTRIGHT BLAMING a moderate, everyday American muslim for 9/11,

vs

Respecting the rights of an everyday muslim in every way,
UNTIL they engage me on the subject,
and only THEN asking them why they continue to be part of a religion that is so convoluted and violent???

Unless they themselves have been violent, you yourself are being an asshole.

Judge people based on their behavior, not because someone else cherry-picks the same fucking book in a different manner.

I am NOT burning crosses in anyone's front yard,
I am not accusing random muslims of plotting 9/11.

Firstly, these are strawman points, and I shouldn't really address them because they're irrelevant. Bigotry is not only displayed in your high-visibility examples. But I will address them, because there's a larger point to be made: bigotry is not always on the radar. You selected nice, highly visible examples of bigotry when it is in fact more often the insidious, silent bigotry that harms folks. The idea that a Muslim in front of you should answer to you for the misdeeds of one who murdered people 14 years ago -- simply because he has the same general faith -- is exactly the source of bigoted thinking: groups are held responsible (i.e., individuals must respond for group behavior) for the misdeeds of individuals. You really don't get the point, and that's fine. I won't badger you any more about it after this post.

Just as I know many Christians support LGBT rights;
I am not blaming them for the gaybashing that other Christians might have done.

But here's what you said:

but I also think that, when you get down to business,
they are also a bit self-deluded...and, consequently, a bit irresponsible.

Therefore, I don't feel it is right for "religion" to be included in the list of constitutionally-protected aspects of individuality, such as race, age, gender, orientation, etc.

Because religion is so corrupt.

You say you're not "blaming" them yet you wish to remove any protection they might have regarding freedom of conscience.

Forgive my skepticism, but it looks like you're trying to eat your cake and have it, too.

But I am saying to them:

You know these atrocious things have been done in the name of your religion, yet you are a good person.

How can you stand to remain part of the same club,
and doesn't it grate at you that your holy book can't be all that Divine
if it is open to such appalling misinterpretation?

Apparently you haven't been raised in a religion, and don't understand how hard it is to break the programming one receives in one's youth.